Friday, June 5, 2015

Night delivery
at Bagram

Capt. Mark Domogala, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron pilot, lands a C-130J at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, after delivering cargo during a night mission to Jalalabad Air Field on May 25. U.S. Air Force cargo aircraft have delivered 19,900 short tons of cargo throughout Afghanistan this year. (
U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Joseph Swafford)

Forging new international partnershipsContingency training with coalition partners is nothing new to Little Rock Air Force Base Airmen. However, the GREEN FLAG 15-07 exercise that recently took place fostered international partnerships like no other.

Happy birthday to the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron! On June 1, 1953, the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron first activated as the 19th Periodic Maintenance Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The squadron activated in an effort to improve the aircraft-in-commission rates of the 19th Bombardment Group’s B-29s. After three years of fighting in the Korean War, the 19th BG needed reliable maintenance to continue operations. During the war, the group relied on borrowed maintenance and logistics support from other units on Okinawa. However, with less support the aircraft-in-commission rate had deteriorated. Personnel assigned to the newly activated unit were dedicated to the periodic inspections of the wing’s B-29s. Immediately after activation, the aircraft-in-commission rates improved greatly. Since activating 62 years ago, the squadron’s name, location and specific duties have varied, but its basic mission has always remained the same: enabling the projection of air power.